Democrats Divided Over Reid Proposal for Public Option

Wednesday

Oct 28, 2009 at 5:09 AM

Senate Democrats disagreed over a government insurance plan, suggesting that the decision by Harry Reid to include it in legislation had failed to unite his caucus.

WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats voiced deep disagreements on Tuesday over the idea of a government-run health insurance plan, suggesting that the decision by the majority leader, Harry Reid of Nevada, to include a public plan in major health care legislation had failed, at least initially, to unite his caucus.

Simply to get the Senate to take up the legislation, Mr. Reid has said he needs 60 votes — effectively all 58 Democrats and the two independents who caucus with them. Senator Olympia J. Snowe, Republican of Maine, who had been open to supporting the bill, said Tuesday that she would oppose Mr. Reid’s version because of the public plan.

But while some who oppose a public plan said they were willing to let Mr. Reid bring the legislation to the floor, the continuing apprehension of others indicated substantial uncertainty.

Senator Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana, who supports a public plan but shepherded a health bill through the Finance Committee without it because he thought it could never win 60 votes, said he could not predict how senators might line up.

“I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know,” Mr. Baucus said when asked if he had changed his view of the public plan’s chances. “I just really don’t know.”

With or without a public plan, Democrats expressed growing confidence that a version of the health care bill would be adopted.

“The alternative of just packing our bags and moving on to another issue is not there,” said Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut.

House Democratic leaders on Tuesday said they, too, were moving closer to passage of a health care bill, and could take up the bill as early as next week. They are still working out some major provisions, including their version of a public plan.

In the Senate, Mr. Reid announced on Monday that he would include a government-run plan in the legislation but would allow states to opt out of the program. On Tuesday, he expressed confidence in his decision.

“Our public option isn’t a left proposal or a right proposal,” he said at a news conference. “This is a consensus, a compromise that represents months of hard work and debate and will benefit all Americans.”

But even as Mr. Reid spoke, some members of his caucus were expressing doubts.

Among the Senate Democrats who have not committed to supporting the bill are Evan Bayh of Indiana, Mary L. Landrieu of Louisiana, Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, both of Arkansas, and Ben Nelson of Nebraska.

The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said that in his view a vote to debate the legislation would be tantamount to supporting it, which he said would raise taxes and increase health care costs.

Such a vote, Mr. McConnell said, “will be treated as a vote on the merits of the bill.”

Several undecided Democrats said that they had concerns beyond the public plan, particularly how much the bill would cost, whether it would make insurance affordable for people who stand to gain coverage, and how it would affect health costs for those who already have benefits.

Ms. Snowe, the only Republican to support the health care legislation in committee, said she would vote against opening debate on Mr. Reid’s version.

“It is obviously a fundamental line, the question of putting the public option at the forefront of this initiative,” Ms. Snowe said.

Ms. Snowe said she would work with Democrats and try to alter the measure so she could ultimately support it, but was uncertain how much could be accomplished with Democrats potentially controlling 60 votes.

Senator Joseph I. Lieberman of Connecticut, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, said he would vote to start debate and then join Republicans to fight the public option, which he said would become “another entitlement program that will end up increasing the national debt.”

Mr. Nelson said he could not make a commitment, even to support taking up the bill, because he did not know what was in it. He said Mr. Reid provided no details at a caucus meeting on Tuesday.

Mr. Bayh, a leader of centrist Democrats, said he welcomed Mr. Reid’s proposal for an opt-out mechanism, but wanted to see a cost analysis of the bill.

Three liberal Democrats — John Kerry of Massachusetts, John D. Rockefeller IV of West Virginia and Debbie Stabenow of Michigan — said they preferred a public plan for all states but would support Mr. Reid. “This is a good compromise,” Ms. Stabenow said.

In the House, liberal Democrats were elated at Mr. Reid’s decision. “Everybody is tickled to death,” said Representative Louise M. Slaughter, Democrat of New York.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi tried to deflect criticism of the proposal. “It’s not really a public option,” she said. “It’s a consumer option.”

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